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Dan Pfeiffer pulls back White House curtain

President Barack Obama hasn’t been “bipolar” in mixing outreach to congressional Republicans with a more partisan tone, just yielding to political realities, White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Wednesday.

“I don’t think the president’s bipolar on bipartisanship. I think Washington’s bipolar on bipartisanship,” Pfeiffer said at POLITICO’s Playbook Breakfast responding to Mike Allen’s question about whether the president is “bipolar on bipartisanship.”

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Pfeiffer: 'Washington’s bipolar on bipartisanship'

Pfeiffer: Some in D.C. getting 'cold feet' on guns

“We read stories in POLITICO and elsewhere with old Washington hands telling us we should reach out more; we should have more dinners; we should play more golf with John Boehner. And then if we do that for a while, then I read stories with the same Washington hands saying, ‘The president’s caving; why is he being so reasonable? He has to take his case to the country.’”

Ultimately, Obama wants to work with Republicans and will do so on any issue “big or small,” the top aide said.

“The president’s history is in … trying to get together with people of differing points of view to get things done,” Pfeiffer said. “He genuinely wants to do that. The question is — it takes two to tango — are the Republicans really going to be willing to work with us?” Pfeiffer said.

Obama, he insisted, is “sincere.” Pfeiffer said the president will keep meeting with Republicans but will try to keep beer and other “summits” to a minimum. “We’re going to try to limit the summits, but there will be exchange of food and drink with the other party,” he quipped.

One issue on which Obama has tried to gain bipartisan support is guns, and Pfeiffer said he is “optimistic” as the president heads to Denver on Wednesday and Connecticut next week to try to continue building support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

The president knows he is on the right side of the issue, because he has the support of 90 percent of Americans behind him, he said, referring to recent polling on some gun issues.

Pfeiffer conceded that there is a sense in Washington that the opportunity for substantial legislation is slipping away but added that doesn’t represent the country. “People here in Washington may be getting cold feet,” he said. “I think on a whole host of issues Washington tends to be a lagging indicator on public opinion.”

Though House Republicans could block a gun control bill, Pfeiffer said he thinks they might recognize that “there are going to be significant consequences” for going against public opinion on the issue. Ultimately, Obama wants to sign the “strongest gun bill he can,” Pfeiffer said.

On immigration reform, the White House will not declare premature victory, though it does seem to be “one of those rare moments where Washington is working,” Pfeiffer said. “This will not be done until it’s on the president’s desk.”